Insufficient Evidence Leads to Martinez’s Manslaughter Acquittal

Oscar Selgado

Attorney Oscar Selgado who represented Corporal Kent Martinez in the matter, told reporters after the trial that there was simply insufficient evidence to convict Corporal Martinez for the charge that was brought against him.

Oscar Selgado, Attorney-at-law

“It was a case before a jury. Corporal Kent Martinez was placed before a jury of his peers. That means a jury made up of men and women selected by both myself and the prosecution who were on a jurors list and who we believe are persons of the standing of Kent Martinez.  That is normal persons, regular persons of society who bring to the court their own individual experiences of facts because their job was to listen to the facts of the court.  The judge was the judge of law and he guides the court on the law.”

Reporter

“Now sir, explain to us the basis of your no case submission against your client.”

Oscar Selgado

“At the end of the prosecution case, after two days, and we say two days, our nineteen witnesses to this case but a lot of the witnesses were procedural witnesses.  So the crown and I had agreed to most of the evidence.  There were only five persons that were called to give viva voce evidence, that is live evidence by voice and the remainder were agreed evidence.  But when the crown closed its case, there was insufficient evidence that had vbeen marshaled by the prosecution from its nineteen witnesses to safely convict Kent Martinez.”